


You Were Meant For Me

by 852_Prospect_Archivist



Category: The Sentinel
Genre: AU, Alternate Universes, Drama/Romance, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-10
Updated: 2013-05-10
Packaged: 2017-12-11 05:52:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,107
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/794602
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/852_Prospect_Archivist/pseuds/852_Prospect_Archivist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An alternate universe story in which Jim goes to the hospital and loses control, only to have Blair pulled there by a strange connection.</p>
            </blockquote>





	You Were Meant For Me

 

DISCLAIMER: I know they're not mine, but I can dream, can't I? I only  
want to use them for a little while and will put them back in relatively  
good condition, only slightly worse for wear. Please don't sue, *I*  
don't have anything *you* want. Life's not fair, you know? No money,  
no gain, just pure unadulterated lust and passion.

Archive: If you like it, please do, with email addy.

This time it was a song, "You Were Meant for Me" by Jewel (she retains  
all rights, no copyright infringement intended). It refused to go away,  
so, of course, I had to write about it. I KNOW this isn't the way it  
happened on the series, but in my head it happened this way. WARNING:   
Newbie writer. Hasn't been beta read, all mistakes are mine. If you  
like it, please let me know. If you don't like it, please let me know,  
but nicely. My psyche is fragile.

Rating: Pre-slash, PG, for language and thoughts. If you're under 18  
or don't like the idea of men loving men, go away. There are places for  
people like you, but this is not one of them.

## You Were Meant For Me . . . .

. . . . and I was meant for you.

by Debbi Bailey  


'When did he lose his mind?' Jim wondered idly. Just when exactly had reality slipped through his fingers and floated out of his life? He'd always been a straight forward, down-to-earth kind of guy, solidly anchored in the here and now. Then, suddenly the world became a frighteningly surreal place, filled with strange sensations that bombarded him from all sides, never letting up --- never allowing him to regain his equilibrium. 

Odd that he couldn't remember when it had happened, but he knew that he was, without a doubt, totally and completely insane. Add in the dreams and he thought anybody could build an airtight case that he was certifiable. He was surprised that no one around him seemed to notice. Nobody had said anything. No funny looks, no raised eyebrows, no solicitous questions. Nothing. Which, of course, made it all seem even more unreal. 

The dreams had started about six months before. Usually he didn't remember much of his dreams, just vague after-images and impressions. But these dreams were so realistic, so vivid that he still remembered each and every detail. In fact they seemed more real that the waking world. He didn't dream every night, but when he did, he felt transported to another place and time --- a place and time where he belonged, that accepted him and that he accepted. 

The dreams seemed to follow a common theme with slight variations. He was a hunter, a scout, a protector for his tribe or village. And always there was someone with him, a companion or mate. But --- this was the strangest part of the dreams --- this person was another man. Some of the dreams made Jim squirm and break out in a sweat if he thought about them very long. This person, this companion, was *everything* to him and he knew exactly what *everything* meant. 'Man, I haven't had wet dreams since I was maybe 18 or 19. And they were *never* like this.' He could feel his body tightening at the memory. 

'I can't keep this up much longer. I've got to get away. Go someplace where I can get this under control before they notice and call the men to bring the white jacket with the long sleeves and straps. Come to think of it, that might not be such a bad idea. I'll go get some tests run and talk to a doctor. Surely somebody somewhere knows what's wrong with me?!' 

Jim realized that Simon had stopped talking and he wasn't sure when he'd stopped or what he'd said before he stopped. He was sitting at his desk, staring at Jim as if waiting for a response. 'Oh, God, here it comes. I've waited too long. Now they'll lock me in a padded cell and throw away the key.' But Simon just said, "I said that's all, Ellison. How about getting out of my office so I can get some work done." And he waved a hand at the door as he went back to the files he'd been reading before calling Jim into his office. 

'Abso - fucking - lutely incredible!!! I am a complete lunatic --- a total nutcase --- and he hasn't even noticed!' 

Jim got up and left the office, carefully closing the door behind him. Walking through the squad room, looking straight ahead, he went out to his truck, got in and pulled away from the curb, determined to find out just what had happened to him, was happening to him, before this day was over.   
  


* * *

'Man, if I didn't know better, I'd think I was having flashbacks.' Blair thought as he entered the hospital. Since he'd never taken any serious drugs, that was an impossibility. Unless someone had slipped him something and he hadn't noticed. 'Nah, I'd have had a more immediate response. Not just these weird dreams and hallucinations. Like that voice in my head. Could be me wandering around up there thinking I've gone insane. Voice doesn't really sound much like mine, though. I should know, I talk to myself often enough.' 

He'd begun to think the heavy class load he was under in grad school had finally taken its toll and his mind had snapped. Too many nights of staying awake to grade papers or prepare for a lecture with the help of too much caffeine had finally tipped him over into the world of the truly insane. When he did sleep, his dreams were just as strange as his waking hours had become. He was always in some primitive setting, a tribe or a village, and he was partnered with another man, helping him in the task of hunting for and protecting the village. They weren't just partners, though. Blair squirmed remembering the dreams. 

'Shit, those dreams are better than any porn magazine or video I've ever seen. Just thinking about them gets me going.' But another *man*. He'd never done more than the usual curious experimentation --- mutual jerk-offs and such. Not that he hadn't had offers. 'Damn, Blair, not now, not here.' His body apparently didn't agree with his mind, as it responded hotly to his memories. 'Think cold showers, ice packs, snow packs, glaciers. Damn, Damn, Damn. That's not helping. Uh, think dissertation, academia, dusty volumes in dustier libraries, little old lady librarians with straggly hair and missing teeth, who smelled like mold and mildew. Ah, that's better.' 

At first he'd thought the dreams were due to his research for his thesis. His subject was Sentinels --- protectors of tribes in primitive societies --- and how their enhanced senses were used to accomplish their duties. His theory was genetic disposition, there were certain people who were genetically disposed to be Sentinels. He'd found some cases with one or two enhanced senses, but hadn't yet found a fully developed Sentinel. He was beginning to wonder if the genes were so diluted there was no possibility of that. After all, with several billion people in the world, those genes had been spread pretty thin. He kept hoping and searching though. 

Right now he was more concerned about getting somebody to tell him if he was insane or what. Hopefully this trip to the hospital was going to fix that. 

As soon as he walked in the door, he heard the commotion down the hall in one of the examination rooms. Loud voices, sounds of furniture hitting walls, and something that sounded a lot like an animal snarling and growling. Nurses were running everywhere and hospital security officers had arrived, but they didn't seem too interested in going in and facing whatever was in the room. Blair grabbed one of the nurses and asked what was going on. Wild-eyed she said, "He's crazy!! I was taking his vitals and he just started screaming and throwing things and yelling!!!" 

Not really sure why, Blair started toward the examination room. He could hear pain in the voice and fear verging on panic rolled over him in enormous waves. In fact the closer he got to the room, it felt more and more like being in the middle of a violent storm. Total disorientation --- noises that made no sense, colors and shapes that undulated wildly --- pounded him and threatened to disconnect him completely from reality. 'Jeez, what *is* this? Can this be what 'he' feels? Gods, no wonder he's screaming!!' Blair thought as he continued his careful approach to the room. 

The security officers were so busy watching the door to the room, they didn't even realize what Blair was doing until it was too late to stop him. He reached for the door handle and opened the door.   
  


* * *

By now, Jim was so far from reality he didn't think he could find his way back. In fact, he'd about decided that his reality no longer existed --- he'd been transported to a place of pain and horror with no escape. The chemical smells just barely covered the terrifying smell of blood and infection. And the sounds!!! Moans of pain and fear all around, beating in on him, engulfing him in terror. When the nurse had attempted to draw blood for tests, his tightly held control had snapped and he was immediately inundated by input from all five senses at once. Striking out at anything close, he fought to regain mastery. 

Suddenly there was a quiet place in the storm. Off to his left appeared a small, calm spot of light --- steady, unmoving --- pulling him towards it. He reached blindly for that light and touched a face. As he explored further, he touched silky hair, hair that curled and twined around his fingers like it was alive. The scent of honeysuckle wafted across his face, mixed with something he didn't quite recognize, but it was tantalizing and exciting. As he stood there, combing his fingers through the gossamer hair, concentrating on the texture, and inhaling the enticing aromas surrounding him, the insane whirl that had become his world began to slow and stabilize. 

As his sight cleared, he found himself gazing into the darkest, most beautiful blue eyes he'd ever seen. They were fringed by thick dark lashes and were staring directly into his. As his field of vision expanded, he saw full, sensuous lips which were slightly open as the man in front of him panted lightly. MAN!!! Startled, Jim reacted instantly, grabbing the smaller man by his shirt front and slamming him against the wall behind him. "Who are you?!?!" Jim snarled, shaking him like a rag doll. "What do you want?!"   
  


* * *

When Blair entered the room, he immediately backed up against the wall just inside the door. The scene before him was like something from a horror film. The man in the room was big, at least six feet tall and it was easy to see he worked out. The muscles rolled in his back, chest and arms as he hefted furniture and threw it against walls, cabinets and other furniture. His face looked inhuman --- almost animal. And his eyes --- electric blue, Blair noticed --- were staring wildly around as if searching for attackers. The noises coming from his chest and throat sounded more like a panther snarling that anything human. 

Suddenly the man stopped and stood very still, turning his head as if scenting the air around him. Those amazing eyes centered on Blair and he immediately wished he'd never come into the room. His curiosity was always getting him into situations like this!! Afraid to move since that might trigger an attack from the man now moving slowly towards him, Blair tried to push himself through the wall behind him. As the man came closer, he reached out carefully and touched Blair's face. A shock wave blasted through Blair causing him to gasp. Light touches moved over his face and into his hair. As the man played with his hair, winding it around his fingers, Blair panted slightly, trying desperately not to sink to the floor. He had to lock his knees just to remain standing. The first shock wave had been followed by a continuous flow of lighter waves that rolled through him as the man continued to stroke his face and play with his hair. 

'Oh, man, Oh, man, Oh, man' Blair's mind ran round and round in circles. Staring into the brilliant blue eyes, he knew it was just a matter of time before they focused enough to really see him. His body was responding to the caresses in ways that astounded him and he wasn't sure what to do. If he tried to move he might provide an attack, but if he didn't move he was probably going to be beaten to a pulp when the man realized what was happening as a result of his unconscious caressing of Blair's face and hair. The eyes moved down his face, locked onto his mouth and stayed there for a few heart-stopping seconds. 

Then, without warning, Blair felt himself propelled backwards into the wall. The man had him by the shirt front, holding him against the wall, shouting. Blair's ears were ringing and his head whirling from the impact with the wall, so it was a few seconds before he understood what the man was snarling at him. When he could finally hear, he realized the man was still terrified and that made him very dangerous. As quietly as possible, Blair said "My name is Blair Sandburg, I'm a grad student and I came to the hospital for treatment. I heard you yelling in here and you sounded so desperate I just wanted to help you, comfort you, make you feel safe. Man, I'm not going to hurt you." 'Like I could' he thought. "Come on, big guy, put me down, okay? I just wanted to see if I could help. I'll leave if you want me to. But you need to know there are like a guzillion security cops out there and they've got guns and they are *very* nervous." 

As Blair continued to talk in his most soothing voice, the anger seemed to drain out of the man and he slowly lowered Blair to the floor. He placed his hands on Blair's shoulders and leaned heavily on the smaller man, dropping his head. Blair thought he was going to pass out and he could see himself squashed on the floor under the much bigger, heavier man. At the thought of this man on top of him, another shock wave ripped through him, but he pushed that thought away. 'Concentrate, Sandburg, or you're dead meat.'   
  


* * *

As the man he was holding against the wall talked to him, the voice flowed like warm honey over Jim's ragged nerves and he felt the anger and fear drain out of him slowly. As the strong emotions left him, he suddenly felt exhausted and lowered the kid so he was standing on the floor again. Without thinking, Jim reached for support from the only source of stability in his world --- the man in front of him. Leaning heavily on the smaller man's shoulders, he dropped his head, listening to the smooth, comforting sound of that voice and absorbing the essence of this unexpected savior. As he cataloged and absorbed each aspect of this amazing man with his senses, he became calmer and the rest of the world fell back into focus. He suddenly remembered where he was and why he'd come here. He also became very aware of his hands on the shoulders in front of him and the electricity tingling under his fingers. 

Carefully lifting his hands away from the shoulders, Jim stepped back and raised his head to look at the man standing there. He already knew this man more intimately than he'd ever known anyone --- knew the rhythm of his heart and breathing, could find his scent anywhere, would know his touch from any other --- but he needed to know what he looked like on the outside, too. Slowly moving his eyes to take in the whole person in front of him, he was astonished to see how small the kid was, yet how perfectly proportioned. He was again staggered by the deep blue of his eyes and the sensuous curve of his mouth. And that hair --- Jim's fingers twitched to bury themselves in that hair again. Dark, curling, silky and shining, it framed one of the most beautiful faces Jim had ever seen. Suddenly realizing again that this was a man he was looking at, he became aware of the heat rising in his body. Jim blushed and turned away, mumbling his thanks. He couldn't imagine why his body was reacting this way and wondered if this was another facet of his insanity. 'Oh, great, now I'm *really* losing it, standing here wanting this man, wanting to wrap him in my arms and never let go. I can just imagine what that would get me at the station.' 

Jim realized that the other man hadn't moved or spoken a word since he'd released his shoulders. Turning back to look at him, he was shocked to see the flaming crimson blush on the kid's face and wondered if he could read minds. 'Read minds? What is happening to you, Ellison?' But the fact remained that the kid was obviously embarrassed about something and Jim wasn't sure what to do. He could hear the racing of Blair's heart and his ragged breathing. "Hey, kid, what's wrong? Did I hurt you? I'm really sorry, but I kinda lost control there for a minute. Do you want me to get a doctor? Blair, right? Blair, sit down, man, before you fall down." Grabbing a chair from the pile of furniture he'd been tossing around, Jim set it upright, grabbed Blair's arm and pushed him down into it.   
  


* * *

Blair sat down heavily and leaned forward, hanging his head and hands between his knees. Gulping in long deep breaths of air helped clear his head a little, but it was still swimming. The sudden release of tension and the relief when he realized he wasn't going to die was so great he thought he was going to be sick. "Damn, damn, damn, when am I going to learn?" he muttered in between breaths. But this time had been different. He was telling the truth when he told the man that he wanted to help him --- that he felt drawn to comfort him. 

But there was something he didn't tell the man --- something he didn't even want to tell himself. When the man had stepped back and broken the physical contact between them, he'd suddenly felt cold all over, as if all the life had drained out of him. Then he'd looked up into those blue, blue eyes and instantly white hot fire raced through his body, burning the ice from his veins, lighting a raging wildfire in his soul. In that second he knew he could never be separated from this man, if he wanted to stay sane. He would do whatever it took, suffer whatever was necessary, to remain at this man's side for the rest of his life. 

'Oh, man, Sandburg, this is like *so* not cool. This guy could stomp you into the ground and not even break a sweat. And here you sit, plotting how to spend the rest of your life with him. He's obviously a GI-Joe type, straight as an arrow, and likely to kill you for what you're thinking. Besides, what are you thinking? You, Mr. So-Many-Women, So-Little-Time Sandburg, the man voted "Most Likely to Screw His Brains Out Before He Turns 20"!! This is definitely *not* cool.' Blair continued to sit with his head and hands hanging, trying desperately to find a way out of this without getting seriously damaged. Maybe he could just get up and walk out. 

Now that he'd regained a little rationality 'Yeah, right!', he began to focus on the other man again. Although the panic was greatly reduced, Blair could tell it was just below the surface, threatening to break through at any moment. He hovered close to Blair, feather touches on back and shoulders showing that his need for contact was still overwhelming. The compulsion to comfort returned full force and Blair realized he couldn't just walk away. Praying to every variety of god he knew that his face wouldn't betray him, Blair raised his eyes to look into that other face and smiled. The worry lines in the strong forehead smoothed and a slight smile curved the strong mouth upward a little. But behind the eyes, the fear lurked.   
  


* * *

Jim's world was slightly less chaotic that it had been, but he could feel the abyss still pulling at him. Strange, as long as he was in physical contact with Blair, the pull seemed to ease a little, so he continued to pat and stroke Blair's shoulders and back lightly, carefully. 

When Blair looked up at him, he was drawn again to the liquid blue of his eyes and the sensuous curve of his lips. Shaking himself and stepping back, he tried to focus on the room around him, the noises from the hall, anything but the splendor before him. Realizing Blair didn't yet know who he was or why he'd freaked, he said, "I'm really sorry I slammed you into the wall. You didn't deserve that. You were only trying to help. I'm Jim Ellison. I'm a cop. I came here today hoping to find some help for some problems I'm having." He hesitated, trying to decide if he really wanted to talk to a stranger about his insanity. Because Blair *was* a stranger, no matter how much Jim was drawn to him. Risking a quick glance towards Blair, he was astonished at the expression on that exquisite face. 

Love, pure and simple, shone in the eyes and beamed at him with an intensity he'd never felt from his wife or numerous girlfriends. 'LOVE!! What the hell was going on?' How could this stranger that he'd never laid eyes on until 30 minutes ago, love *him*? Especially after what Jim had done to him! Even though Jim had no prejudices in that direction, he'd never felt attracted to another man and didn't quite know how to react. Anger was totally out of the question. This man had pulled him back from the very brink of madness by simply talking to him. Even now, the memory of that voice soothed his raw nerves. He deserved more than another round of being slammed into a wall. 

Jim settled for turning away and pacing the small room like a caged animal. He had to get out of here, NOW. But something Blair had said was nagging at him. Trying hard to recall just what he'd said, Jim suddenly remembered. Security guards --- very nervous security guards \--- outside the room. He knew there was something he should be doing, but the memory of Blair's eyes kept flashing through his mind. 

'All right, Ellison, get a grip or you're going to be in more trouble than you're already in. Gotta get in touch with Simon. Get him to come help defuse this situation before it gets any more out of hand.' 

Looking around Jim spotted his cell phone lying on the counter. Picking it up, he dialed Simon's number, trying desperately to think of something to say that wouldn't sound as crazy as he felt. 

"Banks." 

"Sir, it's Jim Ellison. I've got a ... ah ... um ..." 

"Ellison, what's wrong? Where are you?" 

"Simon, listen, I've got a situation that I need your help with. I'm at the hospital. Could you come as soon as possible. You'll see a lot of security guards outside one of the examination rooms. That's where I am. They probably won't want to let you in, but tell them you've talked to me and I'm OK now and you're my captain and whatever else it takes to get in this room." 

"Jim, are you a hostage? Do I need to bring backup? Talk to me!!" 

"No, no, Simon, nothing like that. I sorta lost control for a few minutes and kinda trashed their examination room. But I'm OK now, I just need you to make sure nobody starts shooting or anything before we can straighten this out, OK? Please Simon, could you just come now?" 

"Sure, Jim, I'll be there in a few minutes. Stay put and don't do *anything* until I get there." 

Shaking with relief, Jim turned the cell phone off and leaned against the counter. How in hell was he going to get out of this without suspension at the very least, probably he'd be fired. Suddenly he became aware of another heartbeat behind him. Turning quickly, he instinctively reached for his gun, then realized he'd locked it in the truck before coming into the hospital. At the same moment he recognized the rhythm of the heartbeat and heard Blair's startled gasp. 

Blair had apparently not moved since the last time Jim had looked at him. He was still sitting in the chair, staring wide-eyed at Jim. 'God, he's beautiful!' Jim thought. And hard on the heels of that, 'Shit, I'm losing it again.' Moving carefully, Jim straightened from his crouch and leaned back against the counter behind him. "I've called my captain and he's on his way. He'll help get this mess straightened out. It would probably be better if we didn't try to leave until he gets here. Are you OK with that?"   
  


* * *

As quickly as the smile had arrived on Jim's face, it left as he turned and began pacing the room, prowling like a big cat. Blair could almost see a long tail twitching behind him. When that picture hit him, he stifled a giggle. He'd never seen such raw power in a person before. Long, powerfully built legs, muscles rolling in the back and shoulders, head held alertly --- 'Yeah,' Blair sighed, 'just like a panther pacing in a cage.' Jim picked up a cell phone that was lying on the counter, dialed a number and talked to someone for a few minutes. When the call ended, he leaned forward against the counter as if exhausted. 

Suddenly he wheeled, obviously reaching for a gun. Blair gasped. He'd never seen anyone move that fast!! He realized that if the other man had been armed, he'd probably be dead now. That thought scared him silly. Frozen in fear, he could only stare wildly at Jim. What had set the big man off that time? Blair was sure he hadn't moved or made a sound. 

Thinking carefully about what Jim had said earlier, Blair remembered he said something about coming here to get help with some *problems*. 'What kind of problems,' Blair wondered. 'Why is he so jumpy and why does he keep tilting his head like he's listening to something. I don't hear anything. Unless ....' 

Holding his breath and not daring to hope, Blair licked his lips and said "Jim, what do you hear?" His eyes glazing over slightly, Jim answered, "The guards are wondering why it's so quiet in here. They think one or both of us might be unconscious or dead. The nurses are still trying to calm the patients in the other rooms. There's a police siren coming this way, probably Simon." Refocusing on Blair, Jim asked "Why?" 

Not sure how to broach the subject with Jim, Blair carefully licked his lips again. 'I wish he wouldn't do that,' Jim thought, wanting nothing more at that moment than to kiss those luscious lips. "Uh, Jim, what kind of problems did you say you were having?" Still distracted, Jim replied, without thinking, "Visual disturbances, noises, weird dreams, everything seems to hurt my eyes or ears or skin. And everything tastes funny. You know, not bad, just funny. Oh, and the odors. Man, I think everybody in the world either forgot to bathe, or decided to use *way* too much cologne." 

Blair released the breath he'd been holding, and grinned like a kid at Christmas. He never thought it would happen, had almost given up hope, but here, standing in front of him, was a real bonified Sentinel. A REAL LIVE SENTINEL!!!! 'Man, oh, man, I must be the luckiest grad student in the world!! I'd really begun to worry how I was going to authenticate my research in Sentinels and here he stands. Living proof, no less. Not old manuscripts, not snippets from old journals, not hieroglyphics on the walls in tombs. A REAL LIVE, WALKING, TALKING, BREATHING, FULLY FUNCTIONAL SENTINEL. And he's *all mine*!! Well, he will be, anyway. All I've got to do is figure out a way to convince him I'm telling the truth and then find a way to stay close to him all the time so I can observe how he uses his senses.' 

Reality hit like a ton of bricks. 'Stay close to him all the time!!?? Blair, you idiot, he's a *cop*. How in hell can you stay close to a *cop* all the time? Yeah, I can just see it . . . //Please, Mr. Cop, I just want to spend every minute of every day observing you and insinuating myself into your life. You don't really mind, do you? I'll just hang out here next to you and you'll never know I'm here.// . . . Yeah, right.' 

'OK, here goes nothing.' Pacing back and forth in front of the older man, Blair switched into his 'teacher' mode without realizing it. "Listen, Jim, I think I know what your problem is, but it's gonna sound a little crazy. If you'll just hear me out, maybe I can help you." Afraid to look at Jim, afraid he'd see disbelief and scorn, Blair rushed on, "I told you I'm a grad student. Well, my topic of research for my thesis is Sentinels --- protectors in primitive tribes. They were genetically disposed toward hypersensitivity. All five senses were enhanced far past what was normal for most people. They used these hypersenses to find food, warn of attack, scout new locations, whatever the tribe needed. And each Sentinel had a Guide. The Guide's job was to accompany the Sentinel and keep him or her safe, comfortable, help them with everyday tasks, whatever was needed." Blair felt heat flash through his body as he remembered just what *whatever* was in his dreams. Pushing the thought away, he returned to his explanation. 

"I know all this sounds strange, but I believe you're a modern Sentinel. I think you've got the genes for these hypersenses and they've activated and are out of control. That's what you were describing to me --- colors, noises, scents all confused and running together. I can help you regain control so you're not overwhelmed, if you'll let me." Finally Blair risked a quick glance at Jim. 

Jim didn't looked too pissed off, but he didn't look like he believed Blair either. Actually he looked a little spaced. Moving closer, Blair peered up into Jim's face. 'Oh, hell, he's *zoned*!' Blair waved his hand in front of Jim's face calling his name, "Jim, Jim, hey, man. Come on, man, snap out of it." Realizing this wasn't helping, Blair briefly considered slapping Jim, like he would a hysterical person, but decided against it immediately. 'He'd probably trash my butt. No way I'm gonna slap him. OK, think. It's looks like he's somewhere else, so maybe I could guide him back here.'   
  


* * *

Jim wasn't sure what had happened. He'd been concentrating on Blair's mouth 'Shit, what a mouth!!' and suddenly he'd lost all sense of time and place. Watching Blair lick his lips, watching those full, sensuous lips move had become the sole reason for being. All that existed in his world was that mouth. The quick flash of pink as the tongue tip touched the teeth, then retreated back into the darkness, the cavern, deep, moist, mysterious, begging to be explored, the gleam of those teeth, so white, so small, like pearls lined up for his inspection, the. . . 

Suddenly sound invaded his world, "Jim, hey, Jim, come on back now, man. You're scaring me here, Jim. Oh, man, what am I gonna do now. I can't reach him. I can't leave to call a doctor --- not that they'd do him any good. Oh, man, what can I do? Think, Blair, think." 

"What's wrong?" Jim asked, wondering why the man in front of him was so upset. 

"Oh, damn, Jim," Blair jerked his head up, "You really had me going there for a minute. You must have zoned out, you know, like you were concentrating so hard on one sense that all the others shut down. Which sense was it? Can you tell me what you were doing before? What started it?" 

Rapid fire questions peppered him, keeping him off balance and without thinking he replied. "Your mouth. I was looking at your mouth." 

'Oh, hell, Ellison, that's just great. You just told the kid you were looking at his mouth. Now that was real smart.' 

"Uh, what I mean is I was listening to what you were saying and I guess I just got a little too focused." 

'Yeah, right, great save. Like he's gonna believe that now.' 

Jim turned jerkily and started pacing again, wishing Simon would hurry. He could hear his captain's voice asking for the person in charge. Relief washed through Jim, maybe he could get away from Sandburg without saying anything else stupid. 

When he realized the other man had said nothing since his foot-in-mouth trick, he turned back toward him. Blair was standing exactly where he had been, one hand frozen motionless in his hair, staring at Jim, a look of pure amazement mixed with something else --- something dangerous --- on his face. 

Stalling, Jim said "I hear Simon outside, he'll be here in a minute and then we can get this cleared up and you can go back to your life. Sorry you got involved, kid. This isn't normal for me, but not much has been recently." Realizing he was babbling, Jim shut his mouth and dropped his head. 'SHUT UP, Ellison, just keep your mouth shut until this is over.' Groaning, he leaned on the counter, wishing he could travel back in time an hour and start this over again. 

Feeling a soft touch on his shoulder, he looked around into Sandurg's smokey blue eyes --- eyes filled with concern, caring and something more \--- something Jim was afraid to name. "It's OK, man, I'm OK. No harm, no foul, y'know. Besides I think I really can help you, if you'll let me. I'd like to try. It would mean spending a lot of time together, working on getting your senses under control first, then we could start working on expanding our knowledge base and figure out some field tests. That is, of course, if you want to." That last was so soft, Jim had to use Sentinel hearing to catch it. 

The eyes promised so much. A world he'd stopped hoping for, feelings he thought were dead. The touch was white hot, sending fire raging through his body, sparking connections he'd severed years ago. The voice was warm honey, sweet, smooth, caressing, pleading for something he thought he'd give never again. And the mouth. Soft, warm, moist, breathing a scent into him that was so inviting, so enticing, he could feel his body absorbing it, imprinting it on every fiber of his being. Aching to taste that mouth, to possess completely this marvelous creature before him, Jim groaned again, hanging over the ocean of Blair's eyes, waiting to fall.   
  


* * *

'Oh, please, oh please, don't send me away. Please want to work with me. Please don't say no.' Blair silently begged, praying hard to all the gods he knew and throwing in a prayer to any he hadn't heard about yet. He was holding his breath, his whole world balanced on Jim's answer. 

Still reeling from Jim's revelation concerning his zone-out, he knew he'd do anything, go to any lengths, to convince Jim he was invaluable and that nothing in the world was more important than working with Blair, anything to stay beside this god-descended-to-earth. Looking into Jim's eyes, he searched for an answer. And saw it the moment it arrived. 

His heart jumped wildly, his mind spun completely out of control, and he fell headfirst into the blue, blue sky of those eyes.   
  


* * *

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